The present invention relates generally to a home or small office fire-fighting apparatus, more particularly a water hose and other apparatus for fighting a small fire, and the enclosure or cabinet to house such apparatus that will fit between and attach to the studs of a wall, allowing the face or door thereof to be more flush with the wall itself.
Previous to the present invention home fire-fighting apparatus, and enclosures for the same, have been known in the state of the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,918,782; 4,018,242; 4,244,426; 4,380,269; and 4,998,587 are typical examples of the prior art. Generally, the prior art apparatus included some or all of the following: water supply, hose, method of storing the hose, extinguishers and a cabinet or enclosure to house the other apparatus, said cabinet primarily being mounted onto a wall. The mounting of the cabinet onto the surface of a wall is both a distraction aesthetically and a hazard by protruding into the room.
An exception is U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,426 which is designed to mount within the wall and flush to the exterior surface; however, the hose used in this example of prior art is a flay-lying and folded fire hose, which is both difficult to refold and insert back into the cabinet once used, and if unused for an extended period of time may become brittle and the folds and tend to leak. Replacement of this type of hose is difficult. Further the cabinet opens downward, making accessibility difficult.